A year after the deadly New Year’s Eve attack in Istanbul, Turkey continues to face a heightened threat from radical Islamist militants. However, security forces have become increasingly proficient in countering cells operating within the country.

Turkey is likely to face unrest, foreign policy tensions, an unsettled economy, and terrorist threats in 2018. But that won’t stop Erdogan from cementing his authoritarian trajectory and expanding regional influence.

The war against the Islamic State has expanded Iranian dominance through Baghdad and Damascus and advancing up to the Mediterranean Sea. Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are the front line in this rising tide of Iranian military and economic power.